With the return of my European adventure being in the middle of the Christmas rush, it took me some time to finally be able to sit back and actually think about my crazy adventure. Eight months ago, I received an email from the Puma HR department to inform me that I had been chosen to join the European Trade Marketing team on an internship, based in Herzo at the Puma head office in Germany.
Here I was, about to put it all out there, too travel half way across the world, to a country I knew no one, with a spoken language I did not speak. All I had was the chance of a life time to experience the global market with my favourite Sports Lifestyle brand since I was a kid.
Sitting here now makes it all seem quite surreal. Exactly one week ago I was sitting in Germany, on the eve of my long trip home, wondering where the 6 odd months I spent in Germany had actually gone. I still cannot really tell you the answer to this question.
If I look back and think of what this opportunity gave me, I have to instantly think of my first experience with the German people. It started with a German business man who guided me during his busy schedule all the way from Munich airport basically to my hotel door 200km away in the small town of Erlangen.Upon my arrival there, the German love for beer, and the festivities that go with it were instantly shown, and this was no ordinary introduction either,as my arrival coincided with 'The Berg', the oldest Beer festival in the world, which was being hosted in my town at the time.
You hear stories about the German people and their beer all over the world, but upon your first contact with it, it is really quite special. Together with this is the presence of the great respect the German people have for this age old tradition.
Apart from amazing beer festivals, great German parties, traditional sexy German outfits, and the occasional Schnitzel, I also got to experience a bit more of Europe. With Germany basically being the hub of Europe, it allowed to further my travels to both France and the Czech Republic, where I got to experience some of the top cities Europe has to offer, being Paris, Prague, as well as Berlin which was closer to home.
Then the reason I was in Germany, Puma. First off, what a company. I had the pleasure of working with some of the greatest people I have the pleasure of knowing. The atmosphere of the company is a direct representation of the brand itself. With a Fussball table in the office, Social clubs in the canteen, the greatest company parties, after hour sporting groups, and a generally great atmosphere, I must say it surpassed every expectation I had. The amount I learnt while there was extraordinary. I had the pleasure of engaging with people of all various nationalities, and I can honestly say I have left with friends all across the world.
Working as part of a European hub team allows you to see how the brand operates in various markets, and gain a better overall understanding of what Puma really is. It really is a global and environmentally conscious brand.
I lived with German students during my time there, and they really provided me with a great opportunity to understand the German people from an inside stand point. Many people share some apprehension about Germany and its people after their struggled past, and with all right so. However if you get to know Germany and its people with an open mind, you will see what a great country Germany really is. The events of decades past seem almost non existent in present day German life, and the opportunity to learn and experience the history of the country will give you chills. Upon standing next to the Berlin Wall one day, I took a few moments to myself to think of events that had happened at this very spot, and it really does blow your mind being there, a place you have been told so many stories about and where so much of spoken upon history unfolded.
Now, December 27th 2011, I am sitting at my home in Cape Town, looking back and thinking of these experiences, and it all seems some what like a fairy tale. I must tell you all reading this: Get out there, follow your dreams, and reach for the stars. I took a jump when I went I started this adventure, and when I look back now, it was some of the best months of my life, with people I will cherish forever, and memories I will think on for the rest of my life.
Puma was that brand that I had always been a fan of, but after knowing the inner workings and the passion of the people that work there, it is a brand I love. It may not be as big as adidas or Nike, but the heart and passion that goes into the items you receive surpasses anything that either of those companies will offer you.
Reach for the stars, follow your dreams. It really does pay off big if you follow them with your heart.
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Share Housing
When most young people move overseas for what ever reason, they often resort to share housing as a means of low cost accomodation. Like most things in life, it has both its pros and cons.... Living in Germany has provided me with my second share housing experience and I though it would be cool to lay out my experiences of them.
Like everything thing in life, people enjoy the positives the most, so lets look at the Pros of share housing are:
1. Cheap- Share housing is pretty much the best way to live in a good area at a fraction of the cost. Obviously the cost of the residence is devided by all the house members, as well as bills, and often or not cleaning materials. I stayed in an upmarket central London appartment for a competitive proce and am now statying an awesome student town for less money than most people spend on their girlfriends in a month.
2. Meeting People- Often people find themselves moving to countries where they do not know a lot of people. Share housing provides an opportunity to meet people in the area, and meet their friends, giving you a good network of people in your new city. This can be a pro or a con. I have met a few very cool people in my places, but I will tell you in the cons about the opposite side of that coin.
3. Events- When you live with a bunch of people there is always something going on. My house mates are constantly going partying, going for runs, going to the pool, etc, so I have never been bored... But I have often woken up at 11am on the weekend wondering WHAT happened the night before!
Ok ok, enough about that, I want to talk about the Cons, my experiences that have left me with some funny, 'Is this oke out of his fucking mind' moments....
To give some background on the two different places, in London I stayed in a share house with a few older Australians and Brits. Australians are often quite cool, but I had a fucking lunitic. Literally, this chick had something wrong, not to metion a lil heavy on the booze and a huge belly.
In Germany however, I stay with a LOT of student in this massive floor apartment, student share vibe. They are pretty good with me and often speak English to eachother if I am involved in the convo.
But lets look at some facts.
1. Whiney Bitches- When you get a guy whining like a little kid thats lost his first lolly pop, you kind of have to laugh. One guy is like a little bitch about some RANDOM things, and I most of the time ignore him. The Australian girl mentioned before was even worse, she was a mare! Often resisting an urge to push her down the stairs.
2. Dirty Bastards- Some humans should just live in a cage. They literally live like pigs, and from what I have seen in the shower, probably become warewolfs twice a day at least. The dirty bastard is always a bad one. Coincedently in London, the cycotic Australian and her boyfriend (30 year old uneducated British sales assistant at some downand out store, which says a lot) also took the dirty bastard awards in the house.
3. Opera- When you get woken up at 2am by some RANDOM playing Opera music at full volume, it is kind of fucking irratating.
4. Friends of House mates- You know the saying you can't pick your family, but you can pick your friend'? Well, you also can't pick your house mates friends. I have met some awesome people like I said before, but idiots who come and hold on your doorbell at 3.30am when they do not even live there,completely pissed out their mind, and their friend(who is the resident) is not even there, gives you con number 4.
All in all, there are heaps more. When looking for a house, the big threats are The Dirty Bastard and The Whiney Bitch, with the triple threat being a person who is both of those and has a boyfriend or girlfriend, as they are also suspect if they can put up with them.
Like everything thing in life, people enjoy the positives the most, so lets look at the Pros of share housing are:
1. Cheap- Share housing is pretty much the best way to live in a good area at a fraction of the cost. Obviously the cost of the residence is devided by all the house members, as well as bills, and often or not cleaning materials. I stayed in an upmarket central London appartment for a competitive proce and am now statying an awesome student town for less money than most people spend on their girlfriends in a month.
2. Meeting People- Often people find themselves moving to countries where they do not know a lot of people. Share housing provides an opportunity to meet people in the area, and meet their friends, giving you a good network of people in your new city. This can be a pro or a con. I have met a few very cool people in my places, but I will tell you in the cons about the opposite side of that coin.
3. Events- When you live with a bunch of people there is always something going on. My house mates are constantly going partying, going for runs, going to the pool, etc, so I have never been bored... But I have often woken up at 11am on the weekend wondering WHAT happened the night before!
Ok ok, enough about that, I want to talk about the Cons, my experiences that have left me with some funny, 'Is this oke out of his fucking mind' moments....
To give some background on the two different places, in London I stayed in a share house with a few older Australians and Brits. Australians are often quite cool, but I had a fucking lunitic. Literally, this chick had something wrong, not to metion a lil heavy on the booze and a huge belly.
In Germany however, I stay with a LOT of student in this massive floor apartment, student share vibe. They are pretty good with me and often speak English to eachother if I am involved in the convo.
But lets look at some facts.
1. Whiney Bitches- When you get a guy whining like a little kid thats lost his first lolly pop, you kind of have to laugh. One guy is like a little bitch about some RANDOM things, and I most of the time ignore him. The Australian girl mentioned before was even worse, she was a mare! Often resisting an urge to push her down the stairs.
2. Dirty Bastards- Some humans should just live in a cage. They literally live like pigs, and from what I have seen in the shower, probably become warewolfs twice a day at least. The dirty bastard is always a bad one. Coincedently in London, the cycotic Australian and her boyfriend (30 year old uneducated British sales assistant at some downand out store, which says a lot) also took the dirty bastard awards in the house.
3. Opera- When you get woken up at 2am by some RANDOM playing Opera music at full volume, it is kind of fucking irratating.
4. Friends of House mates- You know the saying you can't pick your family, but you can pick your friend'? Well, you also can't pick your house mates friends. I have met some awesome people like I said before, but idiots who come and hold on your doorbell at 3.30am when they do not even live there,completely pissed out their mind, and their friend(who is the resident) is not even there, gives you con number 4.
All in all, there are heaps more. When looking for a house, the big threats are The Dirty Bastard and The Whiney Bitch, with the triple threat being a person who is both of those and has a boyfriend or girlfriend, as they are also suspect if they can put up with them.
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